Friday, July 11, is the observed birthday of Oak Cliff-born 7-Eleven, and as every year, anyone can get a free small Slurpee from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
This year, Dallas-based 7-Eleven also is offering a quarter-pound hotdog for $1. And they’ve launched 7-Eleven week through their app, which can be downloaded by texting BDAY to 711711 or through iTunes and Amazon.
If you download the app, 7-Eleven will send you coupons for freebies all next week. The app is free, but to use it, you have to create a profile, which requires answering a survey about your shopping habits and sentiments regarding the convenience store. You also have to give personal information, including your email address and birth date. But the best part of the app, which comes loaded with a few coupons, might be the Slurpee finder. Want a Dr. Pepper Slurpee? The app tells you where to find the closest one.
The original 7-Eleven store was the offspring of the Southland Ice Co. on Edgefield at Clarendon in Oak Cliff. In colder months, the ice house didn’t do much business, so in 1927, Southalnd employee John Jefferson Green had the idea to sell milk, eggs and bread off the dock. Eventually, that became the store’s main business. It became the first convenience store and was renamed 7-Eleven because it was open from 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
The Slurpee was introduced in 1967, and among the promotional giveaways that were was a button reading “I have slurped,” which now can be had for about $30 on eBay. In 1970, 7-Eleven gave away a 45-rpm record with the single “Dance the Slurp,” which now is considered rare vinyl and sells for as much as $50.
